This Breitbart article is a good summary of what happened between Patreon, MasterCard and me, but the key element is in the update: “A Mastercard spokesperson responded to a Breitbart News request for comment with the following statement. ‘As part of our normal process, we share information about websites that may have illegal content with the acquirer – or merchant’s bank – that connects them to our network to accept card payments. The acquirer would then review the site for compliance with legal requirements and our standards. They would then determine what action to take. In this case, the acquirer advised us that they decided to terminate acceptance.'”
“Illegal content”? What illegal content? Which website — Patreon or Jihad Watch? All I had at Patreon was a video stating my hopes to build a studio for videos, and a notice about an upcoming livestream. And at Jihad Watch, all we have are news articles, almost all from mainstream news sources, with commentary. So to what “illegal content” is MasterCard referring? It is not (yet) illegal in the United States to criticize Islam and oppose jihad mass murder and the Sharia oppression of women, gays, and others. It is, however, illegal to do so under Sharia. Is MasterCard operating according to Sharia blasphemy laws now?
I’ll be doing what I can to find out.
“Mastercard Forces Patreon to Blacklist Jihad Watch’s Robert Spencer,” by Charlie Nash, Breitbart, August 15, 2018:
Mastercard has reportedly forced funding platform Patreon to kick conservative author and “Jihad Watch” owner Robert Spencer off its site.
“My name is April and I’m on the Trust & Safety team here at Patreon. I’ve been notified by Mastercard that we must remove your account from Patreon, effective immediately,” wrote Patreon in an email to Spencer. “Mastercard has a stricter set of rules and regulations than Patreon, and they reserve the right to not offer their services to accounts of their choosing. This is in line with their terms of service, which means it’s something we have to comply by.”
“I have paid out your remaining creator balance of $475.22 to you via direct deposit,” the company continued. “I’m sorry for the inconvenience and frustration this might cause.”
Despite this, Spencer claimed he doesn’t use Mastercard and didn’t have a Mastercard attached to the Patreon account.
I didn’t just “claim” this. It’s an actual fact. I did not have a MasterCard attached to the Patreon account, and don’t have a MasterCard at all.
“I’d been given no warning before this of anything amiss with my account… so what violated their rules? They hadn’t explained,” Spencer declared, adding that Patreon “never explained why MasterCard objected to my account or why they had to comply with MasterCard’s wishes, and didn’t answer my request for an explanation.”…
Spencer believes his removal from Patreon is part of a larger trend. He told Breitbart News “This seems to me to be all part of the general attempt to silence all dissenting voices and leave only Leftists speaking in the runup to the 2018 elections.”
In July, Breitbart Tech senior reporter Allum Bokhari warned that a growing number of conservatives and dissidents would soon be banned from financial services, such as Patreon, PayPal, and Stripe.
“The creeping exclusion of the right from online platforms like Twitter and Facebook is well-known, drawing the attention of Trump campaign manager Brad Parscale and the RNC. But a greater challenge is on the horizon: the exclusion of the right from financial services,” Bokhari expressed. “As the left prepares for the 2018 midterms and the 2020 general election, they want to ensure that only they have access to that tremendous power.”
“And with PayPal and Stripe withdrawing support from politically neutral fundraising platforms, they are well on their way to achieving that aim,” he concluded. “Like the social media purges, this represents an existential threat to the conservative and pro-Trump movement.”
Update — A Mastercard spokesperson responded to a Breitbart News request for comment with the following statement. “As part of our normal process, we share information about websites that may have illegal content with the acquirer – or merchant’s bank – that connects them to our network to accept card payments. The acquirer would then review the site for compliance with legal requirements and our standards. They would then determine what action to take. In this case, the acquirer advised us that they decided to terminate acceptance.”
mortimer says
The globalist-bankster-pseudo-Leftists are committing a coup d’état by blocking any voices but their own.
This is a reason for government to investigate what is happening and defend the freedom of expression from hidden, secretive financial manipulators.
This is the TYRANNY of THE OWNERS … it’s un-American.
President Trump should remember that Teddy Roosevelt stood up to the cartels.
David M says
Exactly, they are doing the same thing to Alex Jones. They are starting at the top, then they will go after all conservatives unless they are stopped. They know they are losing the infowar, their only chance is to silence the opposition.
Terry Gain says
Alex Jones should not have been banned but he is is a dishonest nutbar Truther and has nothing in common with Robert Spencer – other than being banned.
Susan B says
Terry, Robert and Alex, are both calling out the globalist and islam, That is what they have in command.
Andy says
FREEDOM OF SPEECH, Means everyone, Not a choice few.
Telling the truth will get you blacklisted now. We need MORE people to speak out and tell the truth with opinions before WE all get BANNED!
Mr. Spencer allows anyone to have an opinion without censorship.Thank you sir.
Excerpt from Orwell’s “1984”, where he predicted that a future dystopic society would be full of dumbed-down, distracted, football-
watching, beer-guzzling slaves.
1984: George Orwell Predicted Football-Watching Dumbed-Down Slaves
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KyMs_HFI5vw
The Dumbing Down of Society by any means
Mac-101 says
I wish someone would do a little investigation into the hipster multimillionaire San Francisco free spirit who is the CEO of Patreon and the Hindu who controls Master Card. They terminate the most informative website on the human rights violations of Islam on the Web? Why?
.
Do they approve of Sharia Law want it to be the law of the land? Do they want atheists/nonbelievers/gays/women honored killed, bagged, breed and beaten? Does Satan control everyone now in power? Pray for Trump that he is at least real and NOT Controlled Opposition!
Tom S. says
Comments like yours are from people who don’t actually listen to Alex. Alex is a responsible journalist who has had Robert on a couple of times. To the extent that Alex has some “Nutbar” opinions you don’t agree with, he is only responding to nutbar actions of satanic globalists pedophiles. His track record on his “extreme” predictions has stood the test of time very well.
I’ll give you a recent data point: 5 years ago, Alex predicted that the chicoms would roll out a “social score” system that would limit their citizens’ ability to communicate, travel, and even conduct commerce – and the globalists would try to bring it here. The MSM labeled Alex a nutbar for this. Now it is a reality, not just for the Chinese people, but now for Robert.
One more: Alex was one of the few journalists calling our Dianne Feinstein for her sedition over the last 20 years. Now that story has broken out into common knowledge, despite the intel community’s and MSM’s attempt to bury it.
You need to free your mind and LISTEN to Alex for a week.
PRCS says
I agree with both of your points, Terry.
(1) He shouldn’t have been banned (which some posters overlooked)
(2) He’s a dishonest nutbar.
“In a seemingly complete 180, Jones then reaffirmed his debunked conspiracy theories that Sandy Hook Elementary “was closed years before” the shooting; that CNN anchor Anderson Cooper reported on the shooting “using a green screen” and that “weird videos” revealed that grieving parents were in fact actors.
“We’ve sent reporters up there, man, and that place is like Children of the Corn or something. I mean it is freaking weird,” Jones said of the elementary school, which reopened this summer. “All I know is something’s going on and you don’t like us looking at it. You don’t like us questioning you.”
And, yes, I have listened to him.
Wellington says
I agree with you, Terry. Lumping Robert Spencer and Alex Jones together does a disservice to Spencer because Jones is a nut job who has asserted, among other things, that the the US government was behind the Oklahoma City bombing in 1995, behind 9/11 and fake moon landings.
Yes, Jones has the right to spout his nonsense but aligning him with Spencer as some kind of duo fighting for free speech is, to put it mildly, stupid. Once I come across a 9/11 Truther, as Jones is, I know that I’m dealing with someone who is missing a few toys in the attic.
Andy says
gravenimage says
With all respect, Tom, the idea that “nutbar actions of satanic globalists” forced Alex Jones to become a 9/11 “Truther” is a very odd claim.
gravenimage says
Agreed, Terry and Wellington.
Gerald Mucci says
Jones is much less of a “nut case” then you have disingenuously been led to believe. I would urge you to listen for an hour or two and see if you don’t agree with 90% of what he says, unless you are a leftist or don’t understand the issues at stake.
The same negative press is received by Jihad Watch by people who refuse to assimilate the truth of the threat of Islam.
Richard says
Mastercard has discovered how to stop Islamic violence: Don’t let anyone know about it. As for breaking the law: I seem to recall the emperor Caligula saying “The laws of Rome are what I say they are!”
PRCS says
Yup. Just don’t let anyone know about Muslim violence.
Lydia Church says
Here’s what is going on… with portends of what is to come.
The same laws may be on paper, like the ‘freedom of speech,’ but all these ‘private’ companies will work in a colluded, corrupted monopoly to silence all dissent. It is ‘death by bureaucracy’ and ‘technocracy’. What difference does it make what stands on paper if it is not enforced and protected? And if you can’t operate normal functions without being in agreement with these entities that are sharia compliant, etc.?
We see that today with the threats to freedom of speech, assembly, the press, religion, etc. regardless of what protections we have in the Constitution.
They are closing in and like that comment towards the bottom, the ‘mark of the beast’ is not afar off.
On ‘Rather Expose Them’ blog there is an article for today that documents the slowly encroaching police state here and how it operates the takeover towards tyranny and its complicit, acquiescent acceptance. I have noticed it for years now, while most just take it all for granted, which is what they are counting on, and how they succeed with their goal of takeover.
It is not only in one part of the world, but globally… an Orwellian futuristic world of global tyranny.
There is some ‘social number’ they use like a credit score in China.
The implantable chip is already here just waiting behind the curtain. Some already have one.
They are holding people in hostage camps in China, and although they may be muslims, it’s just the dress rehearsal. It won’t be long and they implement a thing all over the world. “And then they come for us…”. And don’t think they won’t, just remember how it happened with the holocaust. The masses were practically hypnotized into compliance. Hardly a soul resisted. All lived in fear and chose their own survival over doing what was right. Don’t think it can’t happen again. In fact, the Bible says it will, and human nature poses no obstacle to that at all. It takes the rare gem to stand up at personal risk.
All the end times prophesies are falling into place and coming to pass.
It will all come true. You can’t fight it. The best thing is just to know what you can do to prepare, what is practical and realistic and what is not. Commit your life to Jesus, that is all we can really do and all that will matter in the end, and we will see what matters as we rise above all of the chaos, and what He wants us to do about it. It is often contrary to human understanding as our thinking is ‘in the flesh’ rather than the Spirit.
Mac-101 says
Right on Sista, Preach to the unwashed Masses. It’s commin down soon, in the next couple years for sure. Most everything is in place! G-t Right with G-d NOW!
Rob says
I have a Mastercard but maybe for not much longer..
Two can play the banning game.
I wonder how long Mastercard would be willing to grandstand over RS in the face of a few hundred 000 account closures.
Dapto says
Sieg Heil MASTERCLASS
pemba says
May be CEO of MasterCard is member of CAIR
Terry Gain says
My guess is that the “illegal content” is criticism of Islam.
Richard Schultz says
SINCE WHEN IS REPORTING FACTS & NEWS REPORTS” ILLEGAL” !
Terry Gain says
Schultz
Did you not note the quotation marks. Islam is the new race. Criticizing Islam is politically incorrect and PC is the new law. Shouting won’t change any of these facts.
PRCS says
+1
Abe says
This is really bizarre. If you don’t use MasterCard, then why bother you in the first place?
Chris says
Well, if you run a business and 60% of your customers use master card, and they don’t allow you to receive funds. Yes, it is a problem.
H says
It doesn’t matter if you do or don’t use Mastercard. They’re a payment provider for Patreon and thus can call the shots, it seems, because there’s zero chance Patreon is going to argue with one of the biggest payment providers on the planet. They’re overstepping the mark because they can. The mask is off, any pretence at beig neutral and NOT being interested in power is over.
Joe says
It is worse than that. Any pretense of being moral has been dropped. And Mastercard handles money.
Pal says
China Is holding over a million muslims In camps
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/how-the-world-learned-china-is-holding-over-a-million-muslims-in-internment-camps/ar-BBLYMrs?ocid=sl
They got it right…
gravenimage says
There are only about 10 million Muslim in China–I’m not sure how accurate that story is.
eduardo odraude says
I don’t use Mastercard, and won’t ever use it if they don’t fix the situation. Same for Patreon.
dsinc says
My Master Card is now in two pieces, I disagree with their unwarranted attack on Robert.
craig says
what is alternative to mastercard
Karen says
Visa, Discover, American Express.
However, this sounds more complicated. Apparently the bank that accepts and processes payments made the decision, versus Mastercard directly. More to follow, I hope. I’d like to know all the details.
Says Mastercard: ” … the acquirer advised us that they decided to terminate acceptance.”
craig says
Thanks thanks for options. I will continue to follow this discussion to see how it is resolved.
gravenimage says
Craig, you might also have to change banks if you got your credit card through your bank, as they often only deal with one company.
John Rosado says
This is the way evil works. Obama put Dinesh D’Sousa in prison for sedition for his work in exposing Obama’s’ strategy. D’Sousa is the only person to be convicted of giving too much money to a friend for a political campaign. This sounds strangely like Mueller and Flynn, Mueller and Manafort. Who else is a Obama politicized federal government going to go after just like the Venezuela Junta. This has only one purpose and that is to corrupt a sitting president legitimate election, then turn out republic into a dictatorship with Obama at the helm.
Mac-101 says
I’d sure love to see someone indicted for Prosecutorial Misconducted and some busted under RICO!
K Smith says
The internet is one of the few areas which today if mostly unregulated. I think all these moves toward censorship is a coordinated attack to make people “want regulation.” Once the government steps in it will be the same as every other area they get involved in….a complete takeover. This is a classic Hegelian Dialectic move. What needs to happen is for the conservatives being silenced to band together to create new platforms. The last thing you need is for the government to get involved.
DogOnPorch says
Styxhexenhammer did a vid on Robert & Matercard…
DogOnPorch says
…errr Mastercard.
Terry Gain says
Susan B says
Aug 16, 2018 at 10:16 am
Terry, Robert and Alex, are both calling out the globalist and islam, That is what they have in command.
——-
Jones is a nut and liar. Has he apologized for his 9/11 lies? He is not trustworthy.
Mac-101 says
Jones is controlled opposition. Her wraps up the truth with blatant lies so people discount the Truth he mentions as crazy also.
TGK says
No, Alex Jones is not “controlled opposition”, he has been removed by all the leftist controlled platforms in existence recently, in case you haven’t noticed. Maybe stay away from Media Matters (Soros) influenced propaganda, or whatever other secondary sources you have encountered in your travels, Mac-. The lies are produced by his enemies, the MSM, the political left, and by people believing these enemies, and thus parroting their narratives, turning out to be crudely manufactured, when you *know* the *genuine* source.
( I’m a regular listener/viewer of InfoWars, they get it right more than they get it wrong. By a *very* clear margin. People holding a grudge, usually have a problem with the priorities of what is covered there. I can only assume you’re not steady listener, after such a strange comment, looking at what is going on right now.)
Mac-101 says
I visited Info Wars for years and comment there extensively in the winter once the sun goes down. I have been banned from Info Wars about 6 months ago so I haven’t visited much this year. 75 to 80% I agree with. By makin crazy aqusations around hard truths THEY are able to discredit the Truth part. This is ALL in Army Field manuals for Special Forces/Pysops troops. You can go look up my profile Mac-101 on Disqus and see my comments, let alone my comments here on JW.
/
The John Birch Society was most likely financed and established by John D Rockefeller and so he could monitor and direct the course of the organization that was directed after Slick Pants RePugs/Globalist. He used them to destroy Goldwater in the 1964 election!
.
All Totalitarian organizations infiltrate or establish organizations to counter them so once THEY gain power THEY know exactly who to murder, and murder millions is what THEY always do.
.
So it is nothing to throw organizations THEY create under the bus to further THIER plan. Do you really believe the Alt-Right organizers are NOT receivin Soros Money. One was a Soros organizer and Obama worker up to 2016!
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To move to control the internet/all news sources is well worth it. Besides, THEY have enough info on us now from the internet to decide who goes to the FEMA Camp showers first!
.
These Globalist Scum make 10 moves in advance and have AL courses of actions covered. Plus THEY have been workin at this for centuries for THEIR father, Satan. It appears the trap is soon to be sprung!
TGK says
How is this “controlled opposition” maintained, when they ban InfoWars from every visible platform on the internet, and cyber attack the main webpages additionally? AND remove the ability to talk there, via the pulling of Disqus? AND so much more? Like an endless chain of Lawsuits?
Media Matters (Soros), would approve greatly of such sentiments, regular viewers/listeners of InfoWars, not so much. The material hits the nail on the head far more often than it misses, unless obsessively holding on to to a few shots from the hip, that missed, is all that (media) matters… !
When these “lies” are examined, they most often turn out to be impossible to document, because the *actual* source material is taken out of context, or twisted, in order to fuel exactly what MSM and the left wants the most, censorship and silence of the (real) opposition. And when people help them willingly, so much better!
gravenimage says
Mac, with all respect, I don’t think you can stand up for truth if you lie all the time.
And I think it far more likely that Alex Jones believes all of his nonsense–including his denial of Jihad terror in 9/11.
Mac-101 says
So you know what the truth is what isn’t? How do you know what is true? It is ALL lies Sista. I’ve bee extensively trained in Pysops and have seen many lies and many truths never exposed, and have heard many HALF Truths told. So if you can figure out what the Source of the Truth is , besides da Good Book, please let me know.
.
I can base my knowledge on Lies I’ve observed livin all around the world for 65 years in many less than desirable places. My perception of the Truth can only come about from what I have seen and attempting to explain it in a workin model.
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You want to see how so much is told/not told : check out this story, it is amusing, break the tension :
.
. Omarosa/ Michael Clarke’s family
.
So did she steal from the dude or did she actually manipulate meds/events to execute the Green Mile death row convict? Either way hopw did she cit cleared to work in the White House let lone along side of Trump? LOL!
David M says
Why should he apologise for his “9/11 lies” Terry. Have you seen WTC 7 fall at free fall speed? Steel framed buildings do not fall at free fall speeds into their own footprint from fire damage.
Mac-101 says
Amen! Operation Able Danger, sellin short on American and United Airlines Info suppressed, doubling of insurance on Twin towers 6 months prior to 911 and addin Terrorist insurance, and of course the infamous “Pull IT” comment by Silverstein a couple minutes before Tower #7 collapsed!
gravenimage says
Oh, good grief–two more who think that Jihad terror is actually being waged by the ‘filthy Infidels’ to make Muslims look bad…
David M says
Not at all, it’s just that your government pulls false flags every now & again to bring in their agendas. Did you know the Patriot Act was drawn up before 9/11, but could not be brought in without a major disaster? If you don’t believe your government pulls false flags look up the Gulf of Tonkin incident, a now admitted false flag that got the US into the Vietnam war.
Mac-101 says
Did you look up Operation Able Danger? If you did you will see one US Army LTC stood up and said they identified Mohammad Atta and 200 Al Qaida operatives in the US 6 months before 911. He and 4 other US Army Officers who supported his accusation where thrown out of the US Army. He was told to destroy ALL records by the Army LAUYERS. I have known several Operatives and I can guarantee you that several Patriotic Americans would have copied and slipped the files to the Agency or Mossad or both. In a couple hours they had pinned 911 on Osama and Mohammad Atta. Where did they git this info so fast ad release it so quickly. It now takes days/weeks just to say a terrorist attack was a terrorist attack.
.
911 was planned from Hamburg Germany. The Germanys proved that this Muslim cell and ONE exCIA agent sold short on a bunch of American and US Air stock. Judicial watch had a FOIA request for ALL who sold short on these stocks prior to 911. It took them 10 years of court battles to win. Once they did the records were destroyed before bein handed over.
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It has been reported many times about Silverstein doubling his insurance 6 months prior to 911 and addin terrorist insurance He is also on record for sayin “Pull It” for Tower #7 seconds/minutes before it collapsed.
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As one who was trained to blow stuff up, and NOT in a Purdy manner, I still find it hard to believe the twin towers fell so well in their footprint. I can NOT believe Tower #7 collapsed the way it did. If you do, so be it.
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So I am NOT saying the US gubermint did 911. I am stayin several people in the Intel community were monitoring Mohammad Atta and the operations and profited from it. You don’t believe Brennan could be so Evil?
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And as David above said, if THEY/some people Globalist connected, did stand by and let it happened, it sure allowed for THEM to strip our Freedoms and track our every move.
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The last thing I will say is I can NOT believe our Leaders are so stupid and ignorant to NOT see the Evil that Islam is and the consequences to Western Civilization due to their policies. It is bein done for a REASON!
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Ray Sears says
+ 1000
Westman says
I think it likely that Mastercard’s weasel-words, “may have illegal content”, is a cover for someone’s laziness when a real check of JW legality was never done. Kicking the can to an unnamed “merchant’s bank” is an obvious obfuscation designed to hide Mastercard-instigated collusion.
Whether someone made the typical mistake of confusing Robert Spencer with Richard Spencer or took the dishonest word of the SPLC we might never know. That someone funneled a personal intent to deny Robert Spencer financial access AFTER it was granted is beyond question. Mastercard’s carefully-crafted weasel-worded explanation indicates that it fears both a justified lawsuit and negative publicity.
Mastercard has admitted that it was the instigator in the shutting down of the account without revealing any evidence. Denial of services based on hearsay or personal vendetta? Is that legal?
WorkingClassPost says
Good point, that Richard Spencer thing has happened before.
Every time I hear news like this, the realisation hits of just how bad life would be if Trump had not won the Presidency.
Time to count our blessings.
gravenimage says
Yes–ludicrous to confuse the two.
Charles says
“Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence”, Carl Sagan.
Let’s be scientific about this. Mastercard has made an extraordinary, potentially libelous or slanderous claim. What evidence do they have to substantiate that claim. Are we a nation of common law? Are we a nation that holds self-evident truths? I have never once observed Robert Spencer exhort his listeners to hate, discriminate, or even to become activists. He simply cites self evident sources of inspiration from original texts as to the inspiration of the Jihad patterns, observable in recorded history and recent events. Mastercard is irresponsible, unconstitutional and illegal, if we still value our fundamental principles.
gravenimage says
Yes–Spencer did nothing illegal, and Mastercard is not backing up their claim.
Leon Degney says
Who are these “paragons of morality and virtue” that throw someone off their platform who they consider to be carrying out “illegal” acts? Illegal by whose definition. If illegal shouldn’t a court order be a prerequisite before any such action is taken. Despite the fact that Robert Spencer does not have Mastercard many of his followers do and they would be using them to fund his operation. By not allowing Pateron to collect and process funds received via Mastercard it is effectively shutting down his source of income or at least part thereof. There seem to be no evil acts beyond the scope of the elite leftists these days. With what has happened to Tommy Robertson, Alex Jones and several others recentlyand now Robert Spencer the leftists are ramping up their efforts to silence the purveyors of truth.
Sam says
What is the best way to fight this censoring free speech. We can not ” not do business” with liberal businesses as they cater to half the population.
Do we need to fight one by one any stupid leftist business. I really don’t know what to do. If there was a freer country than USA, I would leave. Why are we screwing ourselves by suffocating free speech. How stupid these organizations are. They think they will not be subject to censor themselves if they keep it up like this. SHAME ON PATREON AND MASTERCARD!
Dum Spiro says
MASTERcard embraces Sharia finance? We’ve seen this before. There’s a Master Race. Now there’s a Master “Faith.” MASTERcard. Master the possibilities. How soon before we hear, “Oh, by the way, your Visa has been denied/revoked. You can’t go there anymore.”?
The age of abdurdity continues. Are coups of one kind or another planned and/or being implemented? Pray to return to sensibility and reality…
— Spero
G179 says
I hope you sue them in the millions for their lowlife attitude.
CogitoErgoSum says
I would ask Patreon and Mastercard to point to the specific law that they claim Robert Spencer has violated and then provide the evidence they have to prove their claim that Robert violated the law. Should not be hard for them to do. If they can’t do that, they are being dishonest. A person should know the exact crime he is accused of committing and then be allowed to defend himself. Otherwise, I would call this a virtual lynching of a man who should have been considered innocent until proven guilty.
revereridesagain says
If MasterCard managed to confuse Robert with Richard Spencer then their incompetence should be publicly exposed. But I smell the dirty fingers of the Southern Poverty Law Center in this. Did MasterCard “share information” with that Marxist source of libel and slander? Is that where the false claims of “illegal content” originated? There is absolutely nothing illegal at JihadWatch, so they didn’t find it there. Robert should demand to know the nature of the “illegal content” and the source of that information.
Georg says
The left get worse and worse every day. They won’t abide any of us not sharing in their suicide pact resulting from mass propaganda engendering self-hate. The effect isn’t much different than if a hostile foreign power like China, Iran, or Russia were in charge of our cultural institutions… perhaps they are.
David M says
China owns most of it. Connect the dots.
Leon Degney says
I found this part of your comment quite strange,” than if a hostile foreign power like China, Iran, or Russia were in charge of our cultural institutions…” When has China, or Russia for that matter been considered hostile?” Is their hostility a recent event.
Norger says
Criticism of Islam is illegal—under Sharia law. But Mastercard should also understand that interest payments are a “no no” under its newly declared “legal” standard.
CogitoErgoSum says
Oh, yes and the interest they charge is quite high. Haven’t they read Quran 2:275:
Those who consume interest cannot stand [on the Day of Resurrection] except as one stands who is being beaten by Satan into insanity. That is because they say, “Trade is [just] like interest.” But Allah has permitted trade and has forbidden interest. So whoever has received an admonition from his Lord and desists may have what is past, and his affair rests with Allah . But whoever returns to [dealing in interest or usury] – those are the companions of the Fire; they will abide eternally therein.
Those people at Mastercard should stop charging interest. What they are doing is illegal according to Allah.
overman says
‘Those people at Mastercard should stop charging interest. What they are doing is illegal according to Allah’
Absolutely.
dsinc says
If Mastercard is sharia compliant we can just deduct the interest charges from our account before we pay it.
overman says
+1
PRCS says
+1
Jason Cawley says
Mr Spencer,
I believe you have an excellent civil legal case against Mastercard for tort inference in your lawful contract with Patreon. It is a civil tort to induce any other party to break a legal contract with a third party in return for any consideration, including any threat, including commercial retaliation by withdrawal of business. You had a working contract of mutual benefit to your organization and Patreon, and Mastercard threatened Patreon with commercial loss if they did not break their contractual relationship with you. That is textbook tort territory. Get a good civil attorney and file for damages and injunctive relief, including a cease and desist order directed at Mastercard, and you should have an excellent case with plenty of legal precedent in your favor.
overman says
lt’s quite simple really. Southern Poverty Law Center is behind a lot of this. And Mastercard is in partnership with Paypal (who work with Patreon). Paypal stopped Robert and Pams accounts last year l believe. Not sure how that turned out.
Anyway, Southern Poverty Law Center have composed a ‘Hate List’ which the group below (Color of Change) is using by sending it to financial companies like Mastercard, who then use this ‘List’ to identify and ban anyone on it – now who do you think might be topping that List (Robert of course).
Robert had this from Paypal last year (strangely enough also in August). So, it’s spreading:
“RE: Notice of PayPal Account Limitation
Dear Robert Spencer,
We have recently reviewed your usage of PayPal’s services, as reflected in
our records and on your website https://www.jihadwatch.org. Due to the
nature of your activities, we have chosen to discontinue service to you in
accordance with PayPal’s User Agreement. As a result, we have placed a
permanent limitation on your account.
We ask that you please remove all references to PayPal from your website.
This includes removing PayPal as a payment option, as well as the PayPal
logo and/or shopping cart.
If you have a remaining balance, you may withdraw the money to your bank
account. Information on how to withdraw money from your PayPal account can
be found via our Help Center.
We thank you in advance for your cooperation. If you have any questions or
need our support, please contact the PayPal Brand Risk Management
Department at aup@paypal.com.
Sincerely,
Ronita
PayPal Brand Risk Management
PayPal”
Silicon Valley companies drove the initial wave of cutting ties with hate groups.
Spotify says it plans to pull “hate music” from its library as soon as it is brought to its attention. Twitter continues to ban accounts that resort to “violent threats, harassment and hateful conduct”
Cloudflare dumped neo-Nazi site The Daily Stormer, calling the site’s “disgusting, vile and revolting.”
Discover and Mastercard said they’ve identified hate groups that will no longer be able to use their services.
Some of the payment processors’ abandonment of hate groups comes on the heels of an online campaign launched by Color of Change, an activist group whose aim is to pursue online racial justice. Using the hashtag #NoBloodMoney, the group has been seeking for months (started last year) to get financial services companies to stop allowing hate groups to use their payment services. Color of Change said it has been using a list of hate groups compiled by the Southern Poverty Law Center to submit to companies to spur action.
The industry has partially responded, said Rashad Robinson, Executive Director of Color Of Change. “For months, we’ve been urging these companies to do the right thing and stop providing financial services for white supremacist groups,” he said. “We are trying to get clear about what their statements actually mean.”
“I think the next step is going to be continuing to keep the heat and pressure on companies that are spewing this hate agenda, continuing to identify new companies, engaging,” Robinson said. “These companies have black and Jewish and immigrant and LGBT employees who come to work every day and are actively doing things that are putting their lives and their families’ lives in harm’s way.”
overman says
Here’s a huge list of the ppl SPLC compares Robert to.
https://www.splcenter.org/fighting-hate/extremist-files/individual
An example of how they view Robert:
“In July 2011, Wired reported that two of Spencer’s controversial books were listed in FBI training materials. Both The Truth about Muhammad and The Politically Incorrect Guide to Islam were recommended for agents hoping to better understand Islam. Following the report, 57 Muslim, Arab, and South Asian civil rights and advocacy organizations sent a letter to the Department of Homeland Security’s John Brennan urging a task force be established to examine anti-Muslim biases within federal law enforcement training materials. Spencer and his works were later dropped from federal training programs, something he remains bitter about to this day.”
Norger says
The purge of alleged “biased” training materials is an issue that Stephen Coughlin addresses as well. The upshot of this purge is that federal law enforcement and our military have made a conscious decision NOT to study a self-declared enemy’s self-stated threat doctrine, out of fear of offending Muslims. Absolutely, positively INSANE!!! If the “extremists” represent the threat, the ideology that the “extremists” follow is the one that federal law enforcement MUST study. I have news for you SPLC, Robert Spencer is not the only one who’s “bitter” about this. Cowardly. treasonous appeasement of one of the most dangerous enemies our nation has ever faced.
Mac-101 says
So is Rap goin to be classified as Hate Music?
WPM says
No Blacks hating whites ,wanted to pimp women , encouraging shooting each other in gang war ,is OK under the banner of so call “black culture”. As much as I hate rap music it is freedom of speech ,but in today climate you cannot criticize it for what it is without being labeled a racist. Just like the Koran should still be keep in print ,you should be able to criticize it for what it is and point put its violent , supremacist , illogical book that should be criticized for what it stands for. Any system of government or religion that cannot be debated ,is forbidden to criticizes ,that needs protection ,is a false weak system that creates and encourages tyrants to rule over the masses. Be it be communism, Nazism ,or Islamic Sharia law it stand against freedom of speech and it keeps the masses living in fear.
Mac-101 says
Well stated!
gravenimage says
Agreed, WPM. Fine post.
R Russell says
This is what it is going to be like once the antichrist is in power. There will be no buying or selling unless people take the ‘Mark’.
Wont be long now
overman says
Yeah,,l can see it now. A cashless society and a chip in the hand.
Although, according to Padre Pio there will be ‘three days of darkness’ and a ‘Rain of Fire’ which will wipe out much of humanity. l’m not a catholic or a christian, so who knows.
Mac-101 says
Yup, I assume the Mark will be the Chip once Obama Care is repushed and Medical Care will be denied without the chip and you will NOT be able to buy and sell with it.. Then for those who do NOT go for it THEY will make it mandatory to buy or sell! Most will have it by then.
Robyt says
Maybe mastercard is already sold to the petrol sheiks like many other international companies.
Georg says
And like Twitter.
brane pilot says
I like to think of myself as reason based and not subject to hysteria.
It is my observation that there is a lot more hate to be found on CNN than there is on Jihad Watch.
But Jihad Watch gets banned, and CNN is the media darling.
So hate is not really the issue with hate speech.
Hating the right things seems to be the issue.
So called ‘hate speech’ is simply anything people say that is off-narrative approved by Leftist Progressives.
We are already in the nightmare society envisioned in George Orwell’s dystopian novel, ‘1984’
Ren says
Since when MasterCard censor free speech?
gravenimage says
MasterCard says it blacklisted Robert Spencer because of “illegal content”
………………………..
“Illegal content”? Of what possible kind?
David M says
Illegally opposing leftist views I’m guessing. In their mind anyway.
gravenimage says
Probably so, David.
H says
I wondered who owned the majority of Mastercard shares and thus, is most likely to be pulling the strings within the corporation here.
Answer: The Mastercard Foundation.
Take a look at the header on their website.
http://mastercardfdn.org/
A quick look at their board reveals a Saudi Arabian – Hutham Olayam, daughter of the founder of the Olayam group, who heads the Olayam Group, a Saudi conglomerate. Plenty of other rogues in there too, including the usual sort of dodgy ethnic Labour life peer..
http://mastercardfdn.org/foundation/team/
It’s not like there isn’t a precedent for all this with Twitter’s purge on anyone who dosn’t tow the line on Islam – Tiwtter also being majority owned now by adherent of the Religion of Peace.
David, Thailand says
Just like Facebook, Google, Amazon and Twitter, Mastercard are also big, powerful, thick-shinned and probably acting under pressure from an increasingly desperate Left-Islam alliance. Suing them would be expensive and time-consuming with little chance of success against a battalion of top-shelf lawyers through left-leaning courts.
Good luck with this, Robert, and it might help ease the burden if you start accepting cryptos.
Paul says
For info. I just received Robert’s book ‘The history of Jihad’ today. I live in Europe, ordered the book via Amazon and paid with Mastercard. So we shouldn’t be too discouraged (yet).
Ray Sears says
+ 1000
brenrod says
JW should consider suing mastercard for “interference with a contract”… I beleive that Penzoil took 10 million from texaco on that basis some decades ago.
underbed cat says
whoa..What business is it of a bank, to ban or call Robert Spencer” website of factual speech illegal? Hmmmm who would be interested in shutting down excellent journalism? Did the bank get a call from a Islamic country, say, SA, Iran or a civil rights group of the sharia bent,or the far left dems, just like John B. to demand a fantasy story of ignorance so as to not offend 1.5 billion.. not caring about the dangers of the doctrine. and the lives that are affected and lost worldwide….? I have a master card….I am offended by this act to suppress information. I guess they know enough that a request to suppress caused a company to submit.
UNCLE VLADDI says
SO, THE BANKSTERS ARE GOING AFTER CONSERVATIVES DURING A REPUBLICAN MAJORITY GOVERNMENT, ARE THEY? LONG PAST HIGH TIME TO AUDIT THE FED, JUST FOR STARTERS!
Mac-101 says
Amen!
PRCS says
Ultimately, this nonsense won’t end until conservative bloggers create their own independent systems/channels..
BitCoin–or similar–instead of credit cards?
Take small client donations for a year’s worth of access and clearly define what conversations/verbiage will be not be tolerated at each site: (profanity, religious proselytizing.etc.)
Don’t know exactly how it would work, but would it be impossible to do?
Genba says
Are you aware of “hatreon”? Quoting from their website: [1]
“Hate speech is protected speech. Hatreon exists in reaction to politically motivated no-platforming at sites like Patreon.”
I’m not trying to imply that your speech is hate speech or anything (that’s what THEY would say, not me), but since Patreon decided to no-platform you, maybe it’s time to switch to another platform 😉
What I don’t know yet, though, is how this should work in the long-term. That is: what payment processors does hatreon use? Because if it’s MasterCard and the likes the ones who are enforcing censorship, we’re pretty much doomed, as Tim Pool put it, [2] because we won’t have any means to make money transfers in the future.
We might still have VISA, but who knows if they’ll start doing the same.
Maybe we shall go to Paypal? They have also tried to enforce censorship in the past.
Direct bank transfers? That would be too expensive.
Amazon Pay or Google Wallet? Now, I would’nt trust anything coming from those two.
Revolut? Cryptocurrencies? There might be some use in that, but it will require time and effort to set up, and, in the case of cryptocurrencies, we still have to be able to exchange them for “real money”, and, if one specific cryptocurrency gains momentum and some powerful people decide it should be banned, it will also be a hassle. It won’t be impossible, but it will be a huge hassle.
[1] https://hatreon.net/guidelines/
[2] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jtAMTeo_GJw